Mankind is dependent upon energy. Over the past 100 years mankind has adopted fossil fuels as its primary source of energy, but has neglected the long term environmental health of the Earth by failing to recognize and address the environmental impact resulting from the extended use of fossil fuels.
There is almost unanimous scientific agreement that the Earth's climate is directly affected by human activity, especially the combustion of fossil fuels to obtain energy. The combustion of fossil fuels comprises the oxidation of carbon-based molecules by oxygen, thus producing carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is recognized as a global warming gas. Levels of carbon dioxide gas in Earth's atmosphere today are nearly 30 percent higher than they were prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution and mankind's dependence on fossil fuels, based on records extending back 650,000 years.
The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is overwhelmingly recognized in the scientific community as driving global climate change. Recent climate changes include, for example, rapidly increasing average worldwide temperatures and accelerating polar ice cap destruction. Records indicate that 11 of the last 12 years were among the 12 warmest on record worldwide. According to NASA, the polar ice cap is now melting at the rate of 9 percent per decade and arctic ice thickness has decreased 40 percent since the 1960's.
The detrimental effects on mankind of global warming and increasing energy prices have spurred mankind's interest in alternative, and particularly renewable, sources of energy. Renewable energy flows involve natural, perpetual phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, and geothermal heat. For example, the use of wind, water, and solar energy are widespread in some countries and the mass production of electricity using renewable energy sources has become more commonplace in recent times.
The present invention will make use of carbon dioxide as an influent, and in some methods sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The present invention also provides devices and methods for the clean production of hydrocarbons with a goal toward using those hydrocarbons as alternatives to fossil fuel consumption. The description herein of problems and disadvantages of known apparatus, methods, and devices is not intended to limit the invention to the exclusion of these known entities. Indeed, embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the known apparatus, methods, and devices without suffering from the disadvantages and problems noted herein.